Warriors of Earth
by Glimare
Summary: Powers awakened, Mamoru doubts he can take his position as Earth's king alone. A group representing Earth's old inhabitants vie for being in his court. Motoki takes a foreign kid off the streets who has some kind of past, but he's harmless, right? Nothing is as it seems, and when the Shitennou can't give advice, Mamoru must become a leader. AftStars Earth's Court Saga Book 2 OCs
1. Prologue

**_Disclaimer:_** I cannot possibly own Sailor Moon or any of it's characters. There are a few OCs in here though that I do own, some based off of mythology and others based off of characters in my personal world which have been modified for this one and have no further connection to it. So no ownership or money is being made on this fanfic, just doing it for fun. The OCs though are mine and I will tear you apart if you use them without my consent. Happy Valentines day!

Yeah not Valentines day but it's still February. And I said I'd get the next book started posting in February. So here it is! The prologue to Warriors of Earth! I've had this part done since before the last chapter of _**Child of Earth**_ (Please read if you haven't, otherwise you won't be able to get all the references in this one) was posted, but haven't gotten very far with this. I have written out the outline for it, but it's severely lacking with the villain's parts right now. :/ So it's gonna be a bit before I post more chapters. I think I may post chapter 1 soon so I can ask for ideas (thinking through this a little bit ago, I think I've figured out one problem but not the rest) but other than that, I've got nada to show for the month, except a new 2DS and game playing *sheepishly looks away*.

So yeah, without further ado, book 2 of the Earth's Court Saga has begun! Enjoy!

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 ** _Warriors of Earth_**

 _Prologue_

"They think the Ginzuishou is the most powerful force in the universe." The toothy smile could not be contained as the voice spoke to its followers. "The Silver Moon Kingdom is shortsighted. Only the power of the Kinchikyuu no Hooseki as the power we desire. Power over life itself. The very creation of it! Earth's Golden Kingdom will rise again in time, and we must be ready for it. And King Aethlius will not be there to prevent our rise when it returns."

"How are you certain?" One follower spoke up where others denied questioning anyone. This one was likely to survive in the new world. The war and their reputation made the world harsh against them. "The life cycle does not end. He will be born again."

"Prince Endymion will be reborn. Aethlius will not. My curse assures it." It laughed to itself, gleeful over its success. That vile man would never walk this world again. "Endymion will be too concerned with Chaos and his Moon Princess to know what to do with us. I have foreseen it all.

"The prince will be lost, searching for answers. We will have them. If each of you play your part, we will finally have out place in the world. We will spread. We will grow. We will be the masters of the Earth and all its powers!"

Cheers in the darkness mixed together into something of a nightmare. These things living there were meant to stay there, but they would find their way to the light if their plans succeeded.

Sadly only fate saw them, heard their plans and their cheers. Time was on their side. They just had to be patient, wait until the prince returned and his powers unsealed. Then they could move. Then they could change their fates forever.

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Darkness and shadows surrounded them, and yet he was alone. The ground shook and rocks fell and flew around, gravity picking and choosing which ones to affect. The roaring of the building collapsing surrounded them, and yet her cackle could be heard over everything. Her laugh and her words.

"Endymion! Remember the prophecy given at your birth! Every member of your court will betray you! The Earth's court will never survive so long as _you_ reign! Take my curse with you! To your grave!"

Before his eyes the withered hag dissolved into dust, joining the darkness around them. Heartbeats roaring in his ears, he turned to run away, but couldn't really find the ground under his feet. Off in the distance he could see a light, a real one, but the more he ran forward, the further away it became. More sounds came from the darkness, bringing back events in the shadows he never wanted to repeat.

"Endymion! Endymion!" Sweet sweet Serenity screaming for his lost life…

"Master." Kunzite's feeble attempt to save him from Beryl's clutches…

"Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" "Prince!" The senshi crying out as Nehelenia's power dissolved them nearly out of existence…

"Mamochan…" Usagi's voice while he was under Galaxia's control…

"Ren!" A friend calling out to him amidst a battle he couldn't fight…

"Papa…" Chibi Usa crying in her sleep…

"Be… brave… my son… Forgive… mama's… weak… ness… We… will… al… ways… love… you… Ma…mo…"

His mother's last words.

Whatever he was running on gave way at last, casting him screaming into the abyss below. Tendrils covered his body, dragging him further into the darkness. There was no escape it, yet he screamed with every fiber of his being, begging for the power to escape the darkness. There had to be a way to leave this… this…

"AAHH!" With a jerk, Mamoru pulled himself upright, gasping for breath. Darkness still surrounded him for a moment before a light ball appeared in the air, pure gold from his own energy. It lit up the room quite well, giving him a chance to fully wake up. Rubbing his eyes, he tried to clear his mind of the images and voices still soaring through his mind. From the accident to his first death to their battles, it was impossible for him to not be jarred by that nightmare. Knowing full well his only protection was his girlfriend and his newfound powers didn't help him sleep much at night under these conditions, making him wish that prophecy wasn't real.

Groaning the man looked around the room and mentally kicked himself. The bonsai Rei gave him doubled in size since he fell asleep, and there were several varieties of flowers around the room, rootless. His powers, which once only created roses whenever he needed them and repaired any minor injury in the past, recently increased to making plants appear and grow any time he became upset. Though he could make light balls now with a mere thought, having his other abilities activate when he stubbed his toe or was surprised was not a way to live.

"Master." Without his bidding, the apparition of Kunzite appeared in his room, clearly concerned. "Are you well?"

"Just a nightmare Kunzite," he tried to reassure him. "Nothing more."

"What of?" His old guard didn't return to his resting place as he did before when dismissed, but instead sat at the foot of his bed.

Another change with his growth of power was how easily the Shitennou interacted with him now. It used to take a large amount of concentration to draw them out. Now Tanzanite (known to the Dark Kingdom as Zoicite) appeared and read over his shoulder on occasion, Jadeite and Nephrite gave commentary on what he watched on TV, and Kunzite greeted him when he came home and gave advice freely. There were limits of course to how long they were out of course, but it wasn't as difficult as before.

Some days Mamoru wished it was back to the way it was before his abduction six months ago, before his powers grew so strong. At that moment though, he was a little glad. "A lot of things… Kunzite… do you remember anything about the prophecy given at my birth? As Endymion?"

Kunzite's face became still as stone before nodding. "Of course. Carnus' words haunted King Aethlius for years. He wanted to surround you with men who were loyal to him in case it came true. At the very least, they would uphold his reign."

"As if I'd ever let that happen." Though the man was no longer his father, he remembered well enough the ways of the previous king of Elysian. This was the same man who sealed away the Kinchikyuu no Hooseki, the Golden Crystal, within his heir and ensured his powers remained locked way through his death, who condemned the Silver Moon Kingdom and agreed with Metalia and Beryl in their vain war against them, all because he wished to always be the most powerful man on the planet. He feared what Endymion would do his entire life.

Not to say he was a bad king, but he wasn't the best either. If King Aethius had a choice, he would have selected entirely different Shitennou for him. Thankfully they were picked by forces outside that man's control, outside any mortal's control really. His generals were loyal only to Endymion, in any of his forms, and not the king before him… at least until Beryl and Metalia turned everyone against him.

Sighing, Mamoru looked bitterly at his good friend and mentor. "Do you think it's over and done with? Is there a chance I can make a new court?"

Kunzite raised an eyebrow at him. "Is that what concerns you so deeply?"

He looked away. Now that he said it, it did seem stupid. "I just keep remembering what Iphanessa said. Between her, you guys serving the Dark Kingdom, and Helios' mistake with the Black Moon Circus, wouldn't you say everyone's betrayed me enough?"

Slowly the apparition sighed without breath. "Endymion… Mamoru… Prophecy is a fickle power. An image or word in one time will mean something entirely different in another. It may very well be fulfilled, or be waiting for you in the future. It could also be a lie meant to trouble you. My advice is to live your life the way you see best. You usually can only see the fulfillment of prophecy only after it happens, often years later.

"As it is, put the thought out of your mind and focus on the present." Kunzite attempted a comforting smile but it really wasn't his strong suit. There was too much pain and guilt behind his eyes. "Your school program is tiring enough as is. Don't add to it by worrying over a dying hag and crazy old man's words."

Somewhat comforted, Mamoru nodded and laid back down, forcing his body to relax once again. The light he made dimmed slowly, almost like its own setting sun, making Kunzite's form seem more solid for a time. The general stayed at his bedside until his breathing slowed into an easy slumber before disappearing, returning to his resting place until the next time he was needed.

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"Crap!"

A figure ran as fast as he could between buildings and awnings in the night, trying to find a dry, well-guarded place to rest for the night, safe from the onslaught of water desperate to eradicate his existence. "Japan has a temperate climate they said. It'll be muggy and cold they said. Expect earthquakes they said. No one talked about the freakin' monsoons!"

On and on he ran in the dark, soaked through and cursing his bad luck. Why hadn't he just cut and run when he was ahead and found shelter before the storm broke out?! There was literally no one mad enough to be out at that hour in that storm! "They weren't kidding! I really am gonna get myself killed one of these days! Dead end!"

Seeing the end of the alleyway, the lad did the only thing he could at his speed; spotting a slim break in the wood near the ground, he skidded into a slide feet first, through the hole almost landing on his side along the way. Nimbly he managed to twist his way upwards from the slide and back into a run through the night. Whoever's yard he ended up with didn't look safe enough to stay put in, so he kept running, straight to another wall, this one without a hole in it. Not stopping, he ran to the side of the building where a trashcan was and leapt from it to the wall and over the fence. The landing was a little more jarring than usual, but he still managed to keep running. Walls, rain, nothing could stop him from running free.

Another dozen obstacles later, the boy managed to find an abandoned corner mart with enough walls and a roof to count as shelter. Grinning, he slipped out a piece of wire, picked a side door lock, and made himself at home, starting by dropping his soaking wet duffle bag. "Whew… if I knew it'd be this tough, I would have asked for a bigger allowance."

Chuckling at his dumb joke, the lad pulled off his oversized, sopping blue hoodie off and slapped it on the ground. Quickly he shook out his dark brown, nearly black, hair out, letting the excess raindrops fall everywhere. A chill went through him, but that wasn't unexpected. Soaked to the bone, in the dark, it was impossible to not be chilled, even with the warm summer rains. He started wringing out his clothes as he looked around for a comfortable, dry, place to sleep. With his bag wet, it was a good bet his bedroll was too. He'd have to improvise, again.

It took a while, but he found a built in desk with a large enough space underneath for him to snuggle into, and a few pieces of cardboard to use as a mattress! Smirking, the boy dragged over his junk and hung up his wet clothes. Thank heavens he was forced to be a boy scout as a kid; some camping habits stuck with him forever, including covering his stuff in plastic bags before putting them in his big bag. Another set of clean, dry clothes waited him and he was able to avoid a cold by a narrow margin.

Hanging the rest of his stuff up to dry overnight on a rope he kept handy, the boy finally sat down in the new cubby hole to rest for the night. He stretched as far as he could before reaching for the small of his back under his shirt, taking out a foot long knife from its holster. He placed it just under the cardboard where his head would be, assuring himself he would be able to grab it and defend himself at a moment's notice. Looking around briefly one last time, he curled up on his side and did his very best to get some rest that night. ' _Well at least I can only hear rain this time. Rain is normal. I can sleep through rain._ '

His stomach growled loudly. ' _Rain and hunger. I can manage that. Goodnight world. I'll see you again tomorrow._ '

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A/N: So how did you like it? Quick review of some terms: the Kinchikyuu no Hooseki is the Golden Crystal given a cool Japanese name (I think it translates into Earth's golden gem, or something like that), King Aethlius was Endymion's father in Greek mythology, and the prophecy and events spoken of by Mamochan are all from the previous book, **_Child of Earth_**. The rest of the new cast is a mystery because they are the new cast and a major part of the conflict. You get special points if you can guess who they all are before I tell you! Oh and that seer Kunzite mentioned is an actual seer in Greek mythology. Some questions from book 1 were answered in this bit here, but not all. They will be explained later.

Oh and this takes place about two months after **_Child of Earth_** ends, which is after Stars, Usagi's last year of high school. That's an important detail for future parts of the Saga. CoE took place in the spring leading into summer and covered 4 months. This one... I think I want it to start in the muggy part of Japan's summer and end in late fall.

Anyway, comment, fave, read, follow, do what you like but please do something! I will be posting chap. 1 soon enough and then pause while filling in the villains' part. Until next time! ^^V


	2. 1 – A New Stage

Told ya it'd be a couple days! This is all I have consistently written (parts of future chapters and ouline done) so it'll be a bit before the next one. So go speculate! My weak point in this story is the villains, because I have no idea where to go from here! *bangs head against wall* I mean, I know how things will go once the ball starts rolling, but getting it rolling is hard! think I figured out what happened to Luna and Artemis at last, but that's later. I think... *bangs head again*

Anyway, introducing OCs to the plot officially now! enjoy them and my commentary on Japanese summer classes based off of animes and mangas! Questions at end, and maybe a rant. Not sure yet

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 _1 – A New Stage_

Whatever genius decided to have school during the rainy season should be shot. Usagi sighed despairingly as she looked out the window. Detention, again. After supplementary lessons. Thankfully she wasn't alone. Minako was a few seats away making paper hearts out of their old worksheets and tests. Anything really to get out of the muggy heat, even mentally, for a few minutes.

Why oh why did the AC have to fail? Again? And why was their school so evil to stay open when it did? Usagi sighed again, wishing at least it would rain. The storm from a couple days ago didn't do a lot to release the moisture in the air, but the sun being cranky overhead wasn't much better. "Too hot…"

The timer on the teacher's desk dinged, getting each student stuck in purgatory bolt upright. Tendo-sensei looked between it and the clock, and his watch, and his phone, before nodding and getting out of his chair. "Stand." The students almost leapt to their feet. "Bow." Everyone bowed together. "You are dismissed. Try not to be here tomorrow."

"Yes sensei!" Politeness taken care of, the class erupted into excited chatter, plans running everywhere. Minako cheerily grabbed Usagi's hand, grinning from ear to ear. "Come on! There's something you just gotta see!"

"Mina-chan!" Barely able to grab her bag and lunch in time, her friend rushed out the door and off campus in record time. "Minako! Why are you running?!"

"Because if we don't hurry, we may miss him!"

Him? Usagi chanced a look at her friend, suspicious. Eyes sparkling, grinning from ear to ear, her favorite ribbon in her hair… Was she stalking a celebrity again or chasing after her ten thousandth first love? Either way, it wouldn't last long. Aino Minako found a new 'first love' every other month and a celebrity to stalk every three. The only times it lasted less was if the boy turned out to be an agent of the enemy. It was surprising how often that happened. She seemed to be a radar for bad guys, in all the wrong ways.

 _'Well, it could be fun,'_ Usagi admitted to herself before giving more energy into the chase. It was only going to the park anyway (if she was guessing right) so it wasn't some big plot they couldn't handle. After all, they were Sailor Moon and Sailor V! They could take on anyone! Mostly.

To her surprise, Makoto was looking around the park, spotted them, then waved them down. Minako grinned. "Great! Mako-chan found him!"

"Mako-chan!" Usagi almost collided with the tall girl in regular clothes as they came to a halt. Makoto laughed, catching her shoulders gently and letting her breathe. "Thanks…"

"Not a problem. Mina-chan," the tall one started, giving her a quick glare, "you didn't have to drag her here like that! Good as he is, you shouldn't force anyone to watch. Look at Usagi-chan! All out of breath."

"Sorry sorry," Minako rambled quickly, showing she wasn't really, "but if we didn't get here fast, you know he'd disappear! He has every other time."

"Will one of you just tell me what's going on?!" Confused and tired, Usagi demanded to know why those two were so aggressive today. "Are you two after the same man again or something? Because I can't take all this mystery!"

"You dragged her here without telling her why?" The love struck blond shrugged, somewhat sheepish but not really. Exasperated Makoto sighed and started walking towards another part of the park. "We're going to show you a street performer."

"Street performer?" That was it? A street performer? Wasn't that a large step down from big celebrities like the Star Lights?

"No it's not!" Minako objected, making Usagi realize she said her thoughts out loud. Fired up, the blond explained the wonders of street performers over regular idols. "Street performers are performing their craft without all the fancy lights and sound systems, making their performance genuine! They are raw talent! They're locals and therefore more attainable than idols too! They are the ground work of all top celebrities around the world!"

"Plus the guy's pretty cute and a really good dancer," Makoto supplied. "We saw him a few days ago and have been trying to keep eyes on him ever since. Thing is, he's only at the park for an hour before picking up and leaving to another location, and we can't keep track of where. I don't think he has a permit to perform anywhere, so he's avoiding the cops."

"My kind of guy!" Minako cheered, throwing her hands into the air. "So!" She turned to look excitedly at their tall friend. "Where is he? You saw him set up here, right?"

"Sure did." The grin on Makoto's face told them how excited she was. This guy must be pretty good – or remind her of her ex-boyfriend; really hard to tell the difference some days. She pointed towards a bend where they could start hearing some pop American music. "He's right around that –"

"Gotta book it!" Instantly the blond was gone, ready to drool over another man. Her friends watched her go off for a moment before sighing. What were they going to do with that girl? Minako was cool as Sailor Venus, but out of her fuku, she was worse than a tween at a boyband concert.

"Is he really that good?" Usagi didn't mind idols that much, but she was way too focused on passing school and going out with Mamochan to follow them anymore.

"Let's put it this way," Makoto started as they cleared the bend and could see the crowd now. The guy must be popular. "If he was fighting instead dancing, I'm pretty sure he'd be a black belt. He does all these flips and tricks and turns… It's like watching the music take life. Sometimes he even pantomimes the lyrics.

"You just have to see him for yourself." Seeing the girl's grin, Usagi decided to finally go along with it. Carefully the two made their way to a spot where they could see the dancer perform without blocking anyone else. Minako, of course, was in the front, cheering on the guy, ignoring the music blaring right next to her. They arrived in the middle of a song, but hadn't reached the climax yet.

No, that happened the moment after Usagi blinked. He seemed to leap ten feet in the air, flipping three times like a stiff pencil, before catching himself on his hands and going straight into a spin. Mid spin, a foot came to the ground, letting him right himself without missing a beat. He stayed low for a bit, turning on one leg with the other extended, before back flipping onto his feet, his back to them. He kicked up a prop stick to his hands and whipped it up to lay on his shoulder as he turned to face them, a daring grin on his face. It sent exhilarating chills through the audience, especially when he almost threw the stick at them only to catch its other end at the last second. The end pointed at them swished to his open hand before he fell to one knee, pretending the stick was a sword and holding it out for anyone to take it.

That was the moment the song ended and the magic stopped. Cheers erupted from the crowd, giving the young man the signal to look up and smile excitedly, breathing harder than he was a moment ago. Stunned for a moment, a small jab from Makoto reminded Usagi to applaud too. This guy was really good! Not even as a senshi did she have a chance trying to do those tricks. Who was this guy?

Grinning from ear to ear, the young man got to his feet and gave an elaborate bow, with lots of hand twirling. "Thank you! Thank you! You are too kind! Please share your kindness by adding a few Yen to the collection!"

His stick pointed towards a handkerchief not that far away with a few coins on top. From what Usagi could tell, he had, maybe, a couple thousand yen there in small coins. Not a lot. One thing Minako neglected to say was how little street performers made with their craft. Almost ignoring what he was saying, she started to dig into her school bag to find something to add to the pile. Paper would probably fly away, so two 500 yen coins would have to do. She still wanted to save up for that phone she saw the other day, but this guy needed cash.

"- a few minutes to breathe and I'll start the next song." There were a series of chuckles around her as she placed the coins down, reminding her she wasn't the only one there. A few others added coins as well, thinking of what was best for the circumstances rather than what they could afford. Looking back to the performer, she finally realized what was truly impressive about the guy.

He had to be at least a year younger than them. Dark brown, pretty much black, hair stuck up when he ran his hand through it, sweaty from all the exercise he went through. Lightly tanned skin with European features, he was clearly a foreigner, and therefore an exotic sight for them to see, yet didn't stand out near as much as others. The only physical feature that really stood out were his eyes. Amber. That was the only way to describe them, amber. Such a light brown, it couldn't be mistaken as any other color. They were almost dazzling and a little cat-like.

His clothes looked well-worn and a little shabby and big for him, but he pulled off the look with confidence. He didn't have his jeans sag like many foreigners with big jeans did, but his belt wasn't the best quality either. Despite looking healthy and energetic, the dancer could easily be a street urchin. Poor guy.

He took a long drink from a water bottle and set it aside, focused on the old iPod and speakers he had on hand. As he set up for the next number, Usagi snuck next to Minako and started asking questions. "So… what's his name? Where's he from?"

"Dunno, don't care." Minako grinned madly, entering 'first love' mode. "It's a mystery worth keeping! For all we know, he could be the lost heir to a million dollar fortune! Or someone who lost his memories after an accident! Or –"

"Washington." Both girls stopped when they heard them yapping. He grinned at them impishly. "You can just call me Washington. Care to dance pretty lady?"

He offered a gloved hand to Minako who flustered and excitedly took it without really complaining. He really was a charmer. Usagi giggled as 'Washington' gave her friend some brief instructions a few seconds before the music started and he pretty much started dancing all around her, using her as a prop. It was a little weird seeing a guy dance like that with gloves on, but considering he was doing a lot of tricks that could ruin his hands, she didn't think much of it. Everyone had their quirks. Hers were odangos.

Soon everyone was lost in the performance, especially how he got Minako to do exactly what he needed her to do to get the effect of the music they were hearing. Guess 'Washington' was worth that long run after all.

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Mamoru finally closed his textbook and notebook, his study group done for the day. Medical law had to be the most boring part of his studies, but if he was not up to date on it, he would never be allowed to have a license. Due to its importance, he got together with three others and quizzed each other almost daily, comparing notes, and occasionally razzing on their teacher. Professor Takata was very insistent they memorized everything before they ever stepped foot in a hospital. This was almost as hard as that medical math course he had to take before getting into the program. He really wished more classes were like his biochemistry class. At least then he felt he was making real progress.

After making promises with the others to meet the next day at the usual time, he decided to wander the library for any interesting texts he might like to read on the side. Thinking back to his other studies and what he read recently, he found himself in the holistic medicine section to see if science supported the theories found in the grimoire he was given. So far other theories he read about were supported by science. Some were even supported by anthropological studies. Why shouldn't he test out the herb lore he recently read with modern medicine and chemistry?

Course that wasn't the real reason he was still hanging out at the library. A prickling sensation started on the back of his neck an hour or so back, warning him he was being watched. Being with his group, he couldn't look into it until now. Wandering the library, picking an obscure section, all were a test to see if he were being followed and who by. At the moment it didn't feel sinister, but there was no guarantee it would stay that way.

Opening one of the books to a random page, he pretended to read while extending his senses and awareness through the building. His empathic abilities grew a bit lately, and with his new studies, he was able to hone it to do more than know when Usako was in trouble. ' _213 people in the library. 78 are familiar for this place. Workers. Students from college… 96. 15 children. No… 17. 2 service animals. 20 people left…_ '

His eyes narrowed in concentration, looking like he was glaring at the book instead of reading it. Twenty people. ' _No spells. One of these people… who's watching me? From where?_ ' Leaning against the adjacent bookcase, Mamoru took a breath and focused on locating these twenty people. Majority were on levels above and below him, one in the bathroom passed out. Three were on his level.

Eyes were still on him.

Getting a direction, he chanced a look through the bookcases to see who was watching him now. Instantly he made eye contact with a woman a little older than him with long dreadlocks, darker skin with freckles, and pale green eyes. Realizing she was caught watching, the lady made a small surprised noise and ducked out of sight.

Mamoru rolled his eyes. ' _Great. Another fangirl._ '

Determining she wasn't a threat, he picked off two more books that might be useful and walked away. There really wasn't anything he could do about these girls who 'fell in love at first sight', and decided to ignore her like he had hundreds before. He only lingered on her energy for a moment more to memorize it, in case the situation became more than he could handle and he had to identify her later for the cops. If Usako only knew how often this scenario happened to him, she might not blow up so much when she caught sight of it.

The man made it to the check-out and resituated his bag on his shoulder before leaving the building and his latest admirer for his car. He promised to take Usako to a new shop today in another district. Hopefully it would just be the two of them and one of the senshi wouldn't muscle their way into a free ride.

His new admirer watched him from a distance, a small excited smile on her face. He didn't turn her away. That was a large step in the right direction. He saw her and he didn't reject her. Perfect. Truly perfect!

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A/N: so how'd you like it? Just a day in the life of Mamoru and Usagi, but still necessary. They get introduced to the OCs through normal day activities (library/idol tracking) and where it takes off from there. Love how Mamoru's expanding his powers and senses here. I really wonder how many fangirls he has in the shadows and Usagi doesn't know it.

now for the questions: how do i get dreadlock fangirl and her pals introduced to Mamoru and make him start to connect with them? I can handle 'Washington' fine, but I am tapped on situations that aren't clique so I need ideas or I'll be going with one that I don't like. So ideas? I need to get that side figured out. Only need to know that she knows who he really is. That's all. I'm not giving out much more away.

And this is a sympathy question for readers/betas in general: ever had to read a story you were told all about by your friend/sibling, liked it, then was asked to edit it, and find out it was really badly written? Editing my sister's book and I've pulled my way up to chapter 4. If it were a fanfic, I would have dropped it partway through chap.2, good plot or no. She's older than me and, without reading my stuff, critiques my stories all the time when I tell them, so I thought she'd be a lot better. How do you get through the entire thing and not feel horrible tearing it apart? Plus, how do you get yourself to finish it? Haven't started #4 yet, and there's 14 chapters! So need support here.

enough rambling! Please comment and tell me what I can do to make it better or I'll be following an OC way too much and I don't wanna do that! No mystery then! and not near as much fun for you. There isn't supposed to be a love triangle, forced or otherwise (thank heavens!) so please no romantic suggestions. Hopefuly I'll get over this hurtle soon and give you the next chapter before the end of next month, and from there take off.


	3. 2 – Ghosts, Homework, and WHAT THE -!

WAAAAHHHH! only one person commented last time! *sniff* well their suggestion got me thinking so it was worth it, but please! People! Talk to me! I'm so lonely... T-T

Anyway, here's the next chapter! I had part of it already set (the last part) and then wrote the last after the suggestion (still need some though) Yes, the Shitennou have more parts here than in other stories, and it's awesome. Hope you like it! ^^V

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 _2 – Ghosts, Homework, and WHAT THE -?! Whoops_

It was a very confused and frustrated Mamoru that entered his apartment late one evening. Tossing his school bag on the couch in deep thought, he almost didn't notice it passing through Nephrite on his way to the fridge. The Shitennou stopped their discussion, watching their master for a moment before any of them dared approach him.

Of course, it was Kunzite who had the courage to do so. "Master, is something the matter?"

"Maybe…" Taking a drink, Mamoru tried to put his thoughts into words, along with a half-baked plan. "Can any of you leave the apartment on your own?"

That took the soldier aback. "I do not believe so… At least not in the way you may be thinking." The younger man mentally cursed, looking away and trying to figure something else out. It only made the ghosts worry more. "Why would you need us to?"

"I think I have a stalker." Needing to explain himself, Mamoru put the glass down and ran a hand through his hair. "I've felt the same presence in the apartment building as this… girl I saw watching me in the library, for the past week. I think she moved into the building because she's after me."

Instantly his old guards stiffened, their usually calm and ease gone with the possibility of a threat. Already he was regretting mentioning it. The Shitennou were always kicking themselves for not being able to do anything to help him. Though their powers increased with his of late and could interact more often with their prince, they still couldn't do much to protect him or the Earth. And apparently they couldn't leave the apartment. Magical limits often gave people just enough to give people hope, but dash them before anything more could be done.

"It's nothing I can't handle," Mamoru tried to backpedal. "Seriously, it's just another stalker."

" _Another_ stalker, Master?" He just had to say another. It was only the third one since junior high. Seriously it wasn't anything new or dangerous. Kunzite though decided to remind him of something rather painful for all of them. "Are you forgetting _another stalker_ was responsible for the fall of the Silver Millennium and the loss of Elysian? The same one who brought destruction to this lifetime as well?"

The prince cringed, remembering the past so painful he did his best to block it out. Beryl. He treated her as another stalker too, a harmless fangirl. The seeress found out about he and Serenity, became obsessively jealous, and sided with Metallia who wanted him dead from the beginning. The rest, truly, was history.

"I'm being careful," he promised. "Why do you think Usako hasn't been around lately? Until I know where she stands, I'm not letting anyone be seen with me in this building.

"The problem is, I still haven't been approached by her." He couldn't be sure what was happening until after he was delivered an ultimatum or at least a sign of whether it was coincidence or his ego going wild.

"Do you honestly want her to?" Tanzanite stepped forward, glaring slightly – though not in a dangerous forbidding protective way like Kunzite. "Sire, women of this sort are dangerous and obsessive. It's likely she has some ulterior goal than just admiring you from afar."

"It's not like she's done anything else to be creepy." Though he felt eyes on him on occasion, it was always in a public place and never when he was doing anything personal. There were other eyes on him too that were becoming constant, but never were they threatening. "There haven't been letters or photos or anything missing here… You would be able to –"

"No," Kunzite confirmed, "no one's been in your apartment but you of late." The soldier looked to the others coming closer, thinking. "Do either of you have ideas on how to check on this girl?"

"It's not really nec–"

"Talk to Mars," Jadeite offered almost immediately. "She should be able to know the girl's true intentions within a few minutes."

"It'd be better to send the princess' advisers," Nephrite contrasted, removing himself from where the books were. "Mauns are able to slip into places easily, see things as they are, and gather evidence if there is a problem."

"Luna and Artemis aren't back yet," Mamoru automatically replied. It was something worrying their human 'owners' lately. They were supposed to be back from their space adventures months ago yet hadn't returned. What was taking them? "And I don't think Rei-chan would like to be used this way. Don't worry. I'll handle this."

"Somehow we're not comforted." Tanzanite folded his arms as he started to fade away. The rest were starting to as well indicating their time was up for being out of their gems. Still they all tried to do their duty, warning him to not handle this alone. "Remember you're not really alone Mamoru-sama. You do have allies, and with strange women like this, you need backup."

"Promise us you won't do anything rash." Kunzite's demand matched his glare. He was fading too, but if he could stay around through sheer willpower, he would at that moment. Mamoru could never ignore those looks.

Giving in, he nodded. "I'll be careful. I promise."

The white haired warrior halted his disappearance for a moment longer than the rest, making sure he believed him before disappearing entirely. Mamoru let out a long sigh, leaning against a counter. Somehow he was more exhausted now than when he came home from five hours of classes and another four studying. Slowly he looked up to where the crystal case was, his heart aching. "Not really alone huh? Tell me another one."

* * *

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* * *

Aino Minako sighed dismally as her friends tried to do their homework. Summer classes were ending soon, but that meant if they wanted to have any time for fun the next three weeks, they had to get their assignments done fast. Even Usagi was being a good student and studying like crazy to get it all done. The only one not focused, of course, was their soldier of love. "Such a shame to be stuck inside on a beautiful day."

"We wouldn't be so stuck if you would just focus on school and not chasing idols." Rei glared up from her dreaded report. The one horrible thing about going to a catholic school like hers was the required paper on a Christian subject. She was a Shinto priestess! Sure she learned a lot about it in the school, but she didn't care to remember anything from it after the usual tests. The research she had to do now grated on her nerves and made her hate her neglectent father even more. It made her very irritable. The weather didn't help much either.

"Who was it last week again, Minako-chan?" Ami wasn't working on her summer assignments; those were done a long time ago. Instead she was working through all the premed practice exams, doing four at a time. She still wasn't satisfied with the results. "A street performer?"

"He was pretty good," Makoto said in the blond's defense. Her papers were nearly identical to Minako and Usagi's, but there were less of them. She was a fairly decent student when the others weren't around to distract her so most of it was done. "Washington-san can do all these flips and tricks and he looks like he's fighting and dancing at the same time."

"I know right?" Chipper again, Minako started to rattle on all the benefits of such a person of skill. "And the way he dances? Along with the music and not because of it? It's as if he's part of it! So good and amazing and polite and… did you see how well we danced together? He's just –"

"Mina-chan ~" They all looked Usagi who was teary eyed as she checked her math problem for probably the fifth time. "I don't get it at all! Help me!"

This started a series of chuckles among the group, breaking away from their irritation or academic thoughts in favor of helping their beloved princess. She understood people really well, but math and languages and grammar were not her strong points. That, along with each of their needs for social interaction in general, is what brought them out of their individual homes and gather that afternoon to study and get work done. It felt like their last year of junior high all over again, except without Chibi-Usa or the cats or youma hanging around.

Except it was their last year in high school, and college entrance exams were right around the corner. Fun. Most of them had career paths already figured out: priestess, doctor, business owner (bakery and floral), and entertainer. That meant two of them were going for business management degrees, one for medical, and another looking at any classes that would help her in the future.

Usagi though wasn't going for any real degree at that moment, but needed to go to college to 1) satisfy her parents, 2) stay with her friends in their classes, 3) make Mamoru proud, and most importantly 4) be prepared to be queen of the Earth and Moon when the New Silver Millennium started. For her, college was an absolute necessity, and at that moment did not seem possible. Her grades were so dismal it almost didn't seem possible to pass even one part of the entrance exams. And they all wanted her to pass.

So it was time to study! Study study stu-

"What's going on?"

A patron of the café just had to say three words to get the attention of Minako again, getting her to look out the large glass windows. People were running as fast as they could down the street, some of them screaming and carrying their crying children. That usually meant only one thing. "Uh oh. Vacation's over."

"What are you –" Rei only had to look up to see what she was talking about and instantly her demeanor changed. The other senshi also looked up, realized what was happening, and looked at each other. Yep, the vacation was over.

"Let's go see who's invading this year." Minako put it as casually as possible, but each of their stomachs were twisting at the idea of the Earth being attacked, again. They scrambled out of their booth and towards the backdoor, nearly knocking over Una who was just coming in for her shift. Ami asked her to watch their stuff as they ran out of the building, not stopping until they were certain no one would see them. Within seconds lights blazed around them, exchanging their casual clothes for fukus and tiaras then leaping onto the rooftops to make it to the source of the trouble without being stopped by panicking people.

The heroes were on the way to save the world, again.

* * *

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* * *

Mamoru was running the second class ended. He had a bad feeling for the past fifteen minutes and knew the senshi were already on it, but he couldn't stand the idea of an attack on his planet, _his people_ , and not knowing what was going on. He threw his books into his car then abandoned it for an alleyway where he could change into his white suit and teleport to where he sensed the most amount of trouble.

He landed a little less than gracefully on a rooftop near the center of Juuban district, eyes frantically looking for Sailor Moon and the other senshi. He spotted them quickly, each of them stunned and a little scraped up, but fine. There were no monsters in sight. Tuxedo Kamen ran to Sailor Moon's side, letting out a relieved breath when he could see her better. Stunned and confused was the only way to describe her at that exact moment, but she seemed physically fine. "Are you alright?"

Instantly she looked up to him, surprised by his approach. "Tuxedo Kamen-sama! What are you –"

"What the hell just happened?!" Venus' shout got the man's attention as he helped his love to her feet, making him wonder what happened even more than before. She was staring at some cracks in the pavement and a few damaged public goods in the area. Another piece of pavement was burnt and smoking with something in the center. How did you burn asphalt?

"That's what I want to know." Jupiter took some cautionary steps towards the smoldering mass, and with shaking hands, removed what appeared to be a charred broken bone. A human bone. Femur if he knew right. A femur for a grown man. Mercury's soft horror filled mumbling confirmed his suspicions.

Sailor Moon clung to Tuxedo Kamen for her life, shaking wildly. He held her close to comfort her, but his eyes went to Sailor Mars. She looked as horrified as the rest of them. "What happened?"

"I did not do this." That was the first thing she told him? Venus nodded in confirmation of her words as Mars added more. "None of us did."

"Then how –"

"That was the monster," she cut him off. "But something else got it while we were fighting it. It nearly…" She let out a long breath before looking straight at him. "This is going to take a while to explain, and we're not even sure what happened."

The man watched them in silence for a moment, holding the shaking woman in his arms close. Whatever happened scared them. It was going to take some time for them to calm down and explain, he knew this. Yet the sight of a burned human bone at the site of one of their battles left a foul taste in his mouth. He was going to get a good explanation, whether they liked it or not.

* * *

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* * *

For a few minutes he could forget about everything in the world. There was nothing but the music and the rhythm and endless motion. His flips and tricks came naturally, sending blood pumping through his body. It was a high nothing artificial could copy. And the cheers and whistles he got when he finished each dance gave him a second rush, knowing he did good.

Then a long whistle blew out and reality decided to hit him like a rock. "Crap."

As smoothly as he could, the dancer Washington bowed deeply to his patrons, a grin all across his face. "Thank you so much for watching my performance this day and contributing to my continued life. Now I must take my leave before I get arrested."

At the word 'arrested', several people looked around and spotted the one who blew the familiar whistle several yards away, charging at them. The boy quickly grabbed his iPod, speakers, new cash, and bag before turning and running as quickly as he could for the closest alleyway. The crowd would delay the officer for a few minutes and he needed that time to –

"Craaap!" Another officer was waiting in the alleyway, baton already out with a whistle in his lips. Without even thinking, the street performer ran straight at him before leaping to the side, off the building, and over him with a flip, barely dodging his grasp. He didn't stop running when he landed, taking advantage of the man's shock while he could. He did give a sassy salute back when he turned the corner, not able to help himself, but he did not stop running.

He weaved in and out of the main roads and sideways, making sure that if anyone was following him they would be lost rather quickly. For extra measure, he leapt onto a ladder and climbed up to the roofs of the shopping center to make his path even more difficult to follow. Stories of criminals who did this passed through his mind briefly, twisting his heart painfully for a moment as he ran from rooftop to rooftop.

Is that what he became? A criminal? "Oh Dad if you could see me now."

Tired of leaping around rooftops – much harder than Batman ever made it look – the teen decided to go down the next low roof he came across and drop into a walk away backroad. Running was great for a quick escape, but if he wanted to get away without anyone asking questions, a casual walk in the middle of a crowd was better. He was too far from that street corner now to be seen by those cops again, so there was probably a better choice than what he was doing right then.

The next low rooftop didn't have a ladder on the side he wanted, but it did have an awning on the ground level. Quickly he slid down the roof, grabbed the edge, and twisted around to swing to the ground below without injury.

That was, if no one was squatting to place recycling outside, exactly where he needed to land. ' _Whoops._ '

* * *

A/N: Having fun yet? So Mamoru was hoping to use the Shitennou to check out the 'stalker' and maybe find out if she was a threat. Clearly they can't. Everything has a limit, including how long they can be out of their stones. Must be very boring being a rock. Hence why they get out of them as often as they can and just talk. Fun times.

Summer homework is a common theme in anime and manga, along with studying for exams, so... *shrugs* the senshi aren't going to around as much as you may like in this one, but they are important, as is their going to graduate and college. Very important, and that's not just my plug for going to school. Their fight was dodged because honestly... I wasn't sure how to pull it off. I'll work on that next chapter, or at least something more to it. Clearly it was shocking for the senshi.

Then there's the last part where the street performer shows off his skills more and crashes into the main plotline. This is gonna be fun! If you have any theories about the kid, do share!

That's it from me for now. Until next time, COMMENT! Laters.


	4. 3 – Troubles and Deals

Been working on this one for weeks so this is as good as it's gonna get. A little more on our OC boy, but I'm debating other parts for later. Also was making up the senshi's bit on the fly so it's not as grand as my other plots. sorry. Still it ends sweetly. hopefully you like it and comment more. please comment! I need more motivation! Starts immediately after previous chapter - I split it in two originally. heh... whoops.

* * *

 _3 – Troubles and Deals_

Their eyes connected only a second before he lost his grip and crashed into the guy. With trained reflexes, the boy managed to get off of him before full impact could crush the guy, bouncing to the side and landing nicely while the other guy barely managed to not hit his head. "Sorry!"

"What the…" Was all the other guy said before the kid came to his side and rapidly started apologizing and making sure he was alright.

"I'm so sorry! If I knew you were there I wouldn't have done that! Are you okay? Did you hit your head? Please tell me nothing's broken. Here, let me help you up." Very apologetic, he offered the worker his gloved hand. Still frantic he hurt the man, he didn't stop the dazed man from grabbing his wrist in support getting up. The second their skin made contact, he reflexively flinched, expecting the worse.

But nothing happened. Nothing but the sheer terror that came with the possibility of something happening. The other guy saw it briefly as he waited for the help getting up for a few seconds. It sure shut the kid up for a moment at least. Taking a breath, the boy helped the man stand up again, his mind buzzing. Nothing… happened…

"Thanks," the older man started, releasing grip. The boy could feel the man's eyes on him as he stared at where their skin made contact. It was still hard to believe at that moment but also exhilarating. Nothing happened when they touched. Nothing! Impulsively he wanted to poke the man with an uncovered finger, but he suppressed it as the man started speaking again. "Are you alright?"

"Eh? Oh! I'm fine!" He looked up at the man with a grin. "Never better. Tough as an ox. But are you okay? That fall couldn't have not hurt. Did I break anything?"

Quickly he looked around the area, making sure nothing else was broken. The place was a mess of old papers and bottles now, all from the fall, but it still wasn't able to distract him from the glee he had from before. He could touch someone! "Ah crap! I made a mess! So sorry about that. Let me help clean it up. I really am sorry about what –"

"Yeah I know." The man held up a hand, a bit amused by the kid's antics. They both got to their hands and knees to clean up the mess they accidentally made. "So why did you drop on me? From the roof?"

The boy laughed nervously. "It's a bit stupid really. Don't worry about it."

"But I'm curious." He stacked the bottles back in their proper place for pickup before stopping and watching the kid carefully. "It's not every day a guy makes the drop on me. I'd like to know why. Are you in trouble?"

"Trouble?" The kid looked up from the papers he was stacking, thinking about it for a moment. Was he in trouble? He ran from the cops… but besides that… well he really didn't do anything wrong…

"Is someone after you?"

Waving it off while trying to not look as nervous as he felt, he tried to ease his mind. "Nah, not really. Nothing dangerous. Just adults being silly and being jerk faces. You know, the usual stuff."

The worker watched him carefully as he put the rest of the papers back together. It made him nervous. Maybe he needed to take to the rooftops again. Once the stacks were neat again, he shoved his bag back onto his back and stood to his full height. He turned back to the man and gave an abashed smile. "Sorry again for bumping into you like that. And making a mess. Are you sure you're fine?"

"I'm alright," he said easily before pointing to the boy's exposed elbow, "but you're not."

"Huh?" Attention diverted, he twisted his arm to see what he was talking about, and sure enough he managed to scrape his arm and elbow. Must have happened when he landed and moved off of the guy. It was bleeding but not a lot; hardly even hurt. "Huh… didn't even feel that."

"Clearly. Come on in and get it treated." Turning, the man opened the back door and headed inside. Awkward, the guy hesitated before following. For some reason it felt like a command, one he had to obey to make up for what happened moments ago.

Swallowing the nothing in his throat, the lad came inside to see a small back part of the store, whatever it was. The part he was walking through had extra and damaged chairs, sound equipment, gaming consoles, cups, blenders, dishes, and all sorts of things suggesting it was a restaurant. What on Earth was this place?

"Over here." The worker called him to a place that had to be a staff lounge but was really small. The dress code there apparently was just aprons and a certain kind of shoes because there were plenty of mini lockers and aprons but nothing bigger or anything separating the lounge from them if people wanted to get changed. The guy waved him over to the table where he already had a first aid kit waiting for him. Not arguing, he took off his bag and sat down in the chair already prepared for him. Gently the man took his arm and started disinfecting it with an alcohol swab. He hissed. _Now_ it hurt. "Sorry it stings."

"It's nothing, really." Focusing on a point somewhere else in the room, he was able to push this little pain out of his mind. It was nothing compared to a broken arm or when that guy… "Thanks."

"No problem." Once the area was clean and the wound stinging, he changed out the swab for a long piece of gauze. It was a rather large area to cover for a simple piece of plaster. "My name's Furuhata by the way. Furuhata Motoki."

"Adrian." The moment he said his real name, Adrian started to mentally kick himself. It'd been a while since he responded by impulse, but he was pretty used to talking to people like this when getting first aid. It was just a natural reaction.

"Just Adrian?" Motoki didn't get a response. Instead Adrian looked away almost childishly, trying to lighten his own mood. Maybe he'd tell him his family name one day, but at that moment he didn't want to share. "Well, Adrian-san, it's nice to meet you."

"Likewise. And," still regretful, he looked at the man again, "sorry about –"

"Don't trouble yourself so much. I'm actually more impressed with how you managed to do all that." Gauze in place, he took out some medical tape and secured it there. The scrapes would likely heal within a few days so there was no need to go to a hospital for stitches, but it was still larger than either would like. Soon cloth wraps started covering the area to make sure it didn't move. "How did you manage to swing off the roof like that? And make sure I wasn't crushed in the collision? I've seen a lot of people knock into each other and none of them were able to turn as quickly as you did."

Adrian shrugged, secretly proud of his abilities. "Mom cleared to join the Olympics gymnastics team when she was twelve. She was an alternate so she didn't place. Couldn't go to the next one because she was pregnant with me by then. Ah… she was fourteen when she was actually there. Nearly fifteen. She and Dad didn't…"

Suddenly awkward, he looked down, red as a lobster. He just had to start rambling. But it was such a huge accomplishment! Clearing his throat, he tried again. "She taught me everything she knew since I was a kid. And I like to add my own flare. Drove Dad nuts!"

Memories of his antics on the playground and how his Dad went into a panic made him laugh for a moment. How he missed those days. Motoki finished wrapping up his arm and started pinning the cloth in place so it wouldn't come loose. "Thanks for this."

"Not really a problem. I'd really like to show it to my friend studying medicine but I really don't think this is bad at all." Smiling at the well put on cover, he closed up the first aid kit, taking mental note of what was used up and would have to replace. "So where are your parents? I should probably call them to pick you up."

"I wouldn't. Real expensive." That caught the man's interest far too quickly, making Adrian cringe. There was something about this guy that made him want to just confess all his sins to him. Not that he sinned or anything but… This was really twisting up his thoughts. "My parents are in the States. The U.S.."

"Oh."

Shrugging and standing up, he looked around the room, anywhere but at Motoki. He did not want to show how much he missed his family right then to someone he barely met. "Last time I called them, I nearly had to force the charge on them. Really expensive. Thankfully it's on the Embassy's bill so no worries there."

"Oh." A little relieved, he put the kit away and looked for something to give the boy to drink. Some ramune from his sister's pack was left so he grabbed one for him. "Thirsty?"

"Sure." Taking the bottle, he tried to figure it out. Such a strange contraption. Other than peeling of the sealing plastic, he was at a loss. Motoki smothered a chuckle before offering to open it for him. Bashfully, Adrian accepted. "Thanks."

"No problem. So," as he popped the ball into the drink and handed it back to the kid, he continued to ask about him, "who should I call? I mean, it's nearly night time and there was that strange attack a few hours ago. I can't just let you go home alone."

Fidgeting, Adrian tried to laugh it off, secretly wondering what he was talking about. "Really I'll be fine. My place isn't that far from here." Lie. "And I'm really good at defending myself." True. "There's no need to call anyone." Please don't do that.

Either Motoki had seen this kind of scenario before, or he knew how to read between the lines, because he was not buying it. There was no one to call. Adrian was on his own. On the streets. Anyone who paid attention to the weight of his broken down bag, the sheer amount of dirt in his clothes, and how badly he needed a haircut, would be able to tell that. Adrian was trying to get out of trouble and Motoki could tell better than anyone. He opened his mouth to call out the kid when Adrian's stomach growled loudly.

Abashed, the lad blushed and tried to pretend it didn't happen. Motoki though would not have it. He chuckled and decided another route. "How about this. We're a bit short handed right now. If you clean the dishes and help clean up the kitchen, I'll give you some dinner and a place to rest for the night."

"You really don't have to –"

"Think of it as compensation for dropping on me and fixing you up." Smirking slightly, the man picked a heavy apron off the rack and handed it to him. Inside the pockets were long heavy duty gloves for the dishwasher, just what the kid needed to cover up the bandages. Seeing the guilt and frustration and even want on the boy's face, he knew all the kid needed was a small push to agree to this. "I'm not about to condemn a good person in need, Adrian-san. Please, stick around and help out for your dinner. I bet you're tired of vending machine and corner store food."

"Got that right." Sighing, Adrian gave in and put the apron on. Well, it'd be easier than dancing for money. Free meal for an easy job. Not a bad trade off. A hat was handed over to him next and he put it on backwards to keep the brim out of his face as he worked. "So! Where do I go and what is the dish washing procedure?"

* * *

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* * *

"What happened?"

Mamoru only took off half his uniform when they made it back to the Crown Center and the senshi's base underneath it. Usagi was wrapped in his cape, still a little shaky from the entire fiasco. The rest of his accessories sat on the edge of the console Mercury was working on, analyzing the bone they found. The other senshi stood around the room, not sure how to answer him clearly.

"It's a bit of a muddle," Jupiter stated awkwardly, looking at the others. "One minute we were running towards where everyone was running from, and the next we were trying to fight off a… I'm not exactly sure what."

"It wasn't like anything we fought before," Venus tried to help. "It looked like… a man in a suit, with a dog's head, and flippers for hands. It was howling and running up to people and snarling and… frankly it was freaking everyone out."

"I'm not entirely sure it was the enemy." Everyone looked at Mars, whose unfocused eyes were slowly going to Usagi. "Despite its appearance, it didn't really do a lot of damage. That was the other guys."

"What are you talking about?!" Venus turned on her with a snap. "It charged at me! Snapping and growling and it shot scalding water at us!"

"Only once," Mars shot back, snapping back at her. "It did it once then backed off. And if you didn't notice, its body was changing. It's more like… it was like a person was being changed into a monster, from the inside out. And that person was freaking out the entire time. I think it was a big misunderstand-"

"It was not a misunderstanding! It was –"

"Totachi Hiro, age 36, blood type O-, single, banker."

Everyone stopped and looked at Mercury now pinching the bridge of her nose. A man's medical profile beamed off the screen, saying everything she just did and then some. He looked like a normal Japanese man, and yet he was on the screen. Mamoru looked at the bone fragment on the scanner, knowing with horror that this man was now dead. How? "How did this happen?"

"I don't know yet," the ice user sighed. "I don't have enough data to make a judgement, but I can say without a doubt that bone belongs to Totachi Hiro."

"That can't be it!" Venus almost launched herself at the computer, panic in her eyes. "He was a monster! You all saw it!"

"None of us are sure about what we saw." Jupiter let out a long breath. It was all too confusing for them.

"DNA doesn't lie," Mercury stated evenly, somehow maintaining calm. She looked over at the bone and tried to think of what needed to be done. "We need to get this analyzed and find out what happened to Totachi-san. I think a few of my mother's associates can get a better idea on what happened. I'll present it as a mutation experiment, an intellectual exercise."

"Can you do it without giving away too much information?" Mamoru waited for her nod before allowing the plan to go forward. With the gravity of this situation, he was the one in charge; Usagi was pretty much beside herself with what they were learning, and whatever happened during that attack, useless. "Do it. But keep a sample for me to work with. There may be something I can do to learn more on our own."

"Understood."

One part of the puzzle on the mend – hopefully – he looked back to the other senshi, particularly Venus who couldn't quite grasp what happened yet. Finding out a person died must have been a real shock for her. It wasn't a picnic for anyone, but they had to keep their heads on straight. "Venus, what happened to end the battle?"

The usually strong warrior was shaking, going onto the next stage of grief he hoped. "These… These guys in large hoodies came out of nowhere and started fighting… him… Then…" She shook her head, closing her eyes at the memory. "That's when everything becomes muddled. I remember someone managed to plow over Sailor Moon, something else tried to hit her… I think it was the first mons… That man… and someone defended her… then… fire?"

"One of the hooded men made some strange hand gestures and fire shot out at Totachi-san," Mars offered. "That was when he screamed like a real person and we just froze. The hooded guys disappeared maybe a minute before you came in."

"Anything else you remember about these people?" Hand gestures? Disguises? Magic fire? Who were these people? For a moment he remembered his friend, teacher, and protector from a few months ago. He knew the senshi's sailor crystals weren't the only sources of power in the world and there were many forms available to him alone. Mamoru just couldn't see a person who studied like she did killing anyone being transformed into a monster. Marian, and her order, were against killing people – though other questionable punishments were favorable in their eyes. Whoever these people were, they were not like what he knew and trusted. "How many were there? Did they say anything?"

"One of them was really strong," Jupiter piped up, offering what little she could. The girl looked like she was going to throw up at any moment. "He ran headlong into the lamp post and dented it, and cracked the concrete when he fell against it."

"I remember that," Mars confirmed, holding her head lightly, "but very little else. Everything was muddled after they arrived. And the air felt heavy"

"Heavy air…" Something about that statement, mixed with everything else, jogged his memory a bit. The confusion may be intentional. It was hard to tell right then, but there were several signs of a spell manipulating how people saw and remembered events. Mamoru fell silent in thought. He had to reread that part of his spell book to get the details, but he had an idea of what was happening.

Knowing it was probably useless to continue, the prince decided it was time to call it a night. Usagi needed rest to calm her mind, and the others as well. The only reason he wasn't reacting as badly as they were was because of how late he arrived. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. "It's getting late. Let's look at it with fresh eyes tomorrow."

"We're fine," Mars tried to push, but was overruled with a simple headshake.

"No, you're going to bed. Now. I'll talk to the outer senshi and compare notes. You girls go home and get some rest." Normally they would have objected, but this time they really did need everything he said, and they knew it. They glanced at Usagi who was now white as a sheet from just listening the entire time. Mamoru nodded to himself before adding, "I'll take Usagi home and make sure she gets the rest she needs."

The girls nodded and soon left the two to their own homes. Mamoru knelt next to his love, waiting for her to do or say something. Never had she stayed so silent during a meeting as long as he knew her. It was somewhat understandable considering the circumstances, but the wrongness of the scenario nagged at him with each passing second. He had to have his perky Usako back.

"Odango," he could see her eye twitch at the old nickname, getting a reaction at last, "what do you want for dinner?"

"How can you be so calm?" The question made him think for a moment, but it was a little sudden to answer right away. Slowly Usagi looked at him, still horrified by what happened and what they learned. "We were right there, watching a man turning into a monster, and we couldn't stop him from dying."

"You didn't know he was a –"

"I knew he was a person Mamochan." The insistence in her gaze transmitted how troubled she was by this entire event. She knew? "I could sense a soul… a star seed inside him. I _knew_ he was a human being. But I…" She looked down, horribly disappointed with herself, guilty. "I didn't know what to do. I… I don't know if my crystal could have healed him, set him right, or if it would have just killed him. I hesitated, couldn't attack. That's why someone had to save me. Had to stop him that way. Why he died…"

Tears were forming in her eyes, twisting Mamoru's heart inside out. Without thinking about it, he wrapped his arms around her, letting her break down entirely. She couldn't save a man they didn't know, and it hurt her more than anything. What if next time it was someone they did know? Someone they cared about? The moon princess' large heart is what made him fall hopelessly in love with her, but it also caused her the most grief. Right then she felt all the guilt and pain he should be feeling yet was able to push aside. Usako wasn't able to do that.

"We'll figure this out," he promised in soothing tones. "We'll find out what happened to him and we'll make sure it doesn't continue. We'll talk to the people who helped you today and we'll get answers. We will find a way to save everyone. I swear it."

He kissed the top of her head as she cried into his shirt. Mamoru swore to himself he would do everything he could to stop this from happening again, for everyone's sakes.

* * *

(+)

* * *

Sopping wet from doing all the dishes – he had no idea this place was an arcade, karaoke joint, and restaurant when he was running rooftops – and tired, Adrian wasn't about to argue with Motoki when it was closing time and to 'come upstairs'. Part of the kid wanted to run. He'd grown up with stories starting like this and ending very badly. The knife sitting in the small of his back was the only comfort he really had at that moment. But that started changing the moment his benefactor opened one door, revealing a small room.

"This is it." Motoki stepped aside so the teen could get a good look at the room. It was more like a closet really, the walk in kind. From what little he saw of the second story, it was mostly longer term storage or items they might need later in an emergency. This room in particular looked like it was used as a crash pad more than once by a single person. A futon was folded away in one corner with a comforter and pillow on top, and a small chest of drawers stood in the next corner. A single bulb lamp hung from the low ceiling, so low all either of them had to do was reach up to touch it. Motoki could even put his palms flat against the ceiling without trying. Adrian wasn't that tall yet and could barely brush the ceiling with his fingers without getting on his toes. It was wide enough to wheel things in, but no one could sleep in it any way but lengthwise. It really was a small room, with a small window on the other side and boxes for storage lining the walls.

Looking around it though, and thinking of previous crash pads Adrian had used lately, it was close to paradise. A solid roof overhead, a good door with a lock on it, electricity, running water just across the hall, clean… His speechless state must have unnerved Motoki for a moment because he started to ramble. "It's not much but it does pretty well in a pinch. With the boxes in here, it gets pretty warm so you might want to open the window at night. It's clean and there's an outlet right over there if you need to charge anything. No one else is going to be here at night… usually… I mean it's not –"

"It's prefect." He looked over to the rambling man and smiled graciously. "Thank you."

"Not a problem." Relaxing, Motoki thumbed down stairs. "My number is right next to the phone so if you run into any problems tonight, call me. How did the Omu Rice taste?"

"Pretty good." Dinner was simple yet tasty. Who knew what rice, eggs, chicken, and ketchup could do? "I really don't know how to thank you for all of this."

"Just be here in the morning so we can talk more." Adrian couldn't help but to stiffen a bit at the idea. He thought this would only be for one night. What was this guy planning? Motoki tried to put him at ease with a smile. "We really are short staffed at the moment so you helping out would really save my rear. My wife's been upset with my late nights lately cleaning things up. My parents have been trying to get someone hired for a while, but so far they've never passed the background check."

"Background check." That would be a major problem for him. Thankfully he never gave his full name, so maybe he could just sneak out right before dawn and –

"I'll talk to them," Motoki went on, waving it off. "They trust my intuition about these things. I'm a pretty good judge of character most days, and," he gave an almost knowing smile to the kid, "I'm pretty sure you're a good guy in hard times.

"Do me a favor and stick around tomorrow. It's late and we're both tired. We'll both be able to think better after a good night's rest and hot food in our stomachs." The man stepped away from the room and towards the nearby staircase, the only way out of there. "The parlor opens at six sharp so be ready to do dishes at six thirty. We'll eat when the morning rush calms down. Sleep tight!"

With that, the young businessman walked down the stairs with a confidence he didn't normally have. Adrian was stuck staring at his back, bewildered at what happened. Did… he just get conned into working there? Rubbing his eyes and head for a moment, he went into the room and shut the door, giving himself some privacy to explore the place. The boxes were all clearly labeled, making him wonder if one or both of Motoki's parents were coupon nuts or hoarder or even end of the world preppers. There was no real need for someone to have that many preserves and pickled anything.

Shaking his head, the boy plopped his bag next to the drawers and grabbed for himself the futon, spreading it on the floor. The comforter went down next with the pillow on top, giving him room to change from wet clothes to his dry ones. Seemed like he was always doing that these days. He hung what he could over the chest of drawers before remembering to take off his gloves.

He looked at them and his hands for a moment, remembering what happened earlier that day. Nothing. Nothing happened when Motoki touched him. There was nothing special about him. He was just a good, genuinely good, person. It'd been a long time since he came across someone like him, someone good he could touch that wasn't family.

Maybe, just maybe, he could trust someone again.

* * *

A/N: Interested in Adrian yet? He's a fun and interesting character, which is why I know better what I'm doing with him than with the rest of them. Gah... I wish I knew what I was doing... Anyway, Motoki is going to be in this one a lot more than the previous story because he is awesome and a great foil for this one. He'll be acting as Adrian's guardian I guess.

Anyway, the monster they fought is based off of a Telchines in greek mythology, one of many monsters that, if you think carefully, doesn't really make sense. People invented monsters without thinking about how it'd actually work I guess. Could be loosely based on a sea lion but that's not the main point here. Main point is man was turning into a monster and things went horribly wrong. Now he's dead and the senshi, especially Usagi, aren't happy about it. Mamoru's one of those people who can stay calm in a crisis most of the time (raging brain chemicals kind of make that difficult for people), but later he might break down. It was one of his people turned int a monster and then killed off by someone confusing his lover. This one may be a doozy.

ANyway, comment, fave, talk to me! give me ideas! Need motivation! Talk to me! *goes off to play mario*


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